Coles overcomes shaky outing as Franklin tops Bracetti

FUNNY THING about sports accomplishments. First, a kid needs to try out for a team.

Even now, in this his junior year at Ben Franklin High, Khalil Coles has played only one sport at the organized level. And he's not exactly Mr. Unofficial Activity in basketball, flag football or anything else.

But at least he plays baseball, and the experience is going rather well, thank you.

Coles, a 6-1, 170-pound righthander, hurled a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts Thursday as the Electrons bested visiting Mariana Bracetti Academy, 7-5, in a Public C game at 29th and Chalmers.

Admittedly, this wasn't the cleanest mound performance ever as Coles walked six and plunked three. But he stranded five guys in scoring position, and only one of the runs was earned.

"Too many errors," Coles said. "Plus, I messed up that one time when I didn't cover the plate on the [run-scoring] wild pitch. That was bad. Simple fundamental, and I didn't do my job.

"I didn't have good focus on the mound. I don't know what it was. I guess I was nervous, because I knew they were unbeaten. I was messing up with my release point. Letting the pitches go too early, which caused the hit batters and walks."

Coles got his diamond start at age 12, playing in a league at the Martin Luther King Rec Center.

"Don't even know why," he said. "I just did it. I started off as an outfielder, then the coach saw how good my arm was and made me a pitcher. I like pitching. Going for strikeouts. Plus, getting guys out, that's all you have to worry about."

Interesting comment. Trying to record the 21 outs required in the standard high school game sounds like a lot to worry about. Then again, he's not running all over the outfield and/or - not usually, anyway - being forced to field a bunch of hot grounders.

"Now, my other position is shortstop," Coles said. "Pitching's better."

Franklin collected five hits against righthanded sidewinders Kelvin Sabastro (4 innings) and Juan Roldan. The best, by far, literally and figuratively, was a three-run homer by Emmanuel Young that capped a four-run second.

The tall, long-legged Young smoked the ball toward the left side of centerfield and had no problem circling the bases. It was his second homer of the week.

"I didn't even know I made good contact at first," Young said, smiling. "I didn't feel anything in my hands. Maybe I was just too excited or surprised.

"It was a curveball. I can throw them well, so I know how they come in there, and that's my favorite pitch to hit. I've been practicing a lot with my uncle on my mechanics and the timing of my swing. I sat back, really watched the ball come out of the pitcher's hand, then jumped on it."

Pontell Wright and Ricky Alicea posted RBI on sacrifice flies for Franklin, while Brandon Davenport stroked a run-scoring single. Coles collected the last RBI on a misplayed grounder.

Davenport played shortstop and his brother, Bryan, held down third base. Franklin's roster also features two Chris Sullivans. And guess what, they're brothers. Christopher II, a senior catcher, walked, singled and gunned down a would-be basestealer. Christian, a freshman outfielder, saw no action. They go by "Duce" and "Tre," respectively, and have a 3-year-old sister, Chrisette.

Shades of George Foreman's family.

"I think that's what my dad was aiming for," Duce cracked.

That wasn't the day's only oddity. In the home fourth, we had the ever-popular Truck Delivery Delay. There's a building in deep centerfield, and the action was halted as a guy drove onto the field, maybe 15 yards behind Bracetti's Jose Reyes, and took his sweet, ol' time unloading a portable basketball backboard/stanchion.

Brandon Davenport then sent his RBI single to center. What's that famous phrase? The ball always goes in the direction where the truck just was?

Bracetti managed RBI on groundouts by Javier Surrillo and Jorge Quinones, and Quinones' sac fly. Anthony Vega went 2-for-2 with a walk and a drilling.

Coles, who lives on Fairmount near 12th, said he might try out for basketball winter next winter.

"All I can really do is shoot," he said.

Hey, that's a start.

Contact Ted Silary at silaryt@phillynews.com.

Online high school coverage at philly.com/rally.